The Night Mail

[5 C]

2 hours ago, jjb1970 said:

 

I worked for a company that introduced a rule that everybody had to reverse park on their sites so they could pull out front first, it was hilarious in some ways as people who'd been driving for decades had panic and anxiety attacks because they'd never done it before. Despite all the moaning and protestations of doom everyone did it and it didn't take long for people to learn (it was made very clear the alternative was park off site, not easy given the location of the plants).

I worked a (mercifully) short contract for a company who had a reverse parking policy at all their locations, that was rigorously enforced. They'd had a fatality at one of their locations, which while not related to reverse parking, meant they were very vigilant on anything that happened in their car parks. Security would make tannoy announcements and "offenders" had to move their vehicle immediately.

[Happy Hippo]

The shorter the trailer, the harder it is!

 

The Army 3/4 ton trailer with coupled to a Land Rover via the NATO coupling was very very hard to reverse.

 

Much of the problem was due to the coupling being a less than loose fit so the trailer had a lot of free play in which to start oscillating from side to side.

 

A ball hitch can't do that.

 

Ironic as the NATO trailer hitch was reputed to be the only thing in the entire NATO arsenal of equipment that was truly universal.

[J. S. Bach]

On 20/10/2022 at 13:28, Happy Hippo said:

 ...snip... I wonder if JSB has one secreted away somewhere?

Unfortunately, no. 😿

[polybear]

46 minutes ago, 5 C said:

I worked a (mercifully) short contract for a company who had a reverse parking policy at all their locations, that was rigorously enforced. They'd had a fatality at one of their locations, which while not related to reverse parking, meant they were very vigilant on anything that happened in their car parks. Security would make tannoy announcements and "offenders" had to move their vehicle immediately.

 

Achtung, Achtung....

 

The Great Empire used to have a Tannoy system; one of the security guards got caught out by it one day....

He'd been broadcasting a site-wide announcement one day; shortly afterwards someone came into the office and said to him "Pete - Sergeant Bloggs wants to see you".

"Oh no", says Pete - "What does that little fat W****r want?"

Shortly afterwards the phone rings and Pete answers it - it was the M.D.'s Secretary; the M.D. at the time being a certain Admiral (Retd.).

"Pete, fer chrissakes SHUT UP - the whole site can hear you!!"

"Oh, sh1t!!" says Pete....

Anyway, he waits maybe 20 minutes or so for the fall-out to happen; when he heard nothing he called the M.D.s Secretary....

"Has he said anything?" he asks....

"No" says the Secretary - "In fact it's the first time I've seen the miserable b'sterd smile for weeks....."

 

- As told to a certain Bear by Pete** himself.

 

** Better know as "Effin' Pete" - which was an accurate description.  An excellent guy - RIP.

[Tony_S]

3 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

 

This is something I do when tradesmen drive onto our shared driveway and then have to reverse back into the road

Where we stayed on holiday was a stable yard. The outer doors were right on the road, no pavement. On the day we left a painter working on the property went out in the road to let us out safely. The traffic one way stopped but a driver coming the other way nearly hit him instead of stopping. I am sure the driver was in La La land. 

[AndyID]

1 hour ago, Happy Hippo said:

The shorter the trailer, the harder it is!

 

The Army 3/4 ton trailer with coupled to a Land Rover via the NATO coupling was very very hard to reverse.

 

Much of the problem was due to the coupling being a less than loose fit so the trailer had a lot of free play in which to start oscillating from side to side.

 

A ball hitch can't do that.

 

Ironic as the NATO trailer hitch was reputed to be the only thing in the entire NATO arsenal of equipment that was truly universal.

 

I can confirm that. I have a short road trailer that I use behind the tractor. It was really difficult to reverse until I extended the tongue three feet.

[AndyID]

Having received almost no rain other than an occasional thunder storm since June it's now a pretty good copy of a July Saturday in Inveraray. It's not called the Inland Northwet for nothing 😀

[simontaylor484]

2 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

We were undervorders to always reverse park in policecstation carbparks as usually rush jobs were going out rather than returning.  However at Pontefract it could be awkward if an articulated sugar tanker was reversing down into the Haribo factory. Even worse if there was a beer delivery at the Working Mens Club oposite at the same time. Even worse if a Tesco artic was tryi g to getbinto their loading bay opposite the end of our cul de sac.  I still reverse park out of habit.  Reversing my trailer into the tip is good fun though.

 

Jamie

I did see a sugar tanker take the front off a police  Astra there once.

 

FIL was the secretary of that WMC

 

 

These on a Landy? Top stuff

 

 

[br2975]

Did someone say 'cake' ?

.

Mrs. br2975 returned from Cardiff Central Market with three slabs of 'Navvies Wedding Cake' bless her.

.

As for the mug, Mrs br2975 bought it in a Colorado truckstop, and presented it to me, knowing it would provoke a reaction.........and she was correct !

[br2975]

5 hours ago, jjb1970 said:

 

I worked for a company that introduced a rule that everybody had to reverse park on their sites so they could pull out front first, it was hilarious in some ways as people who'd been driving for decades had panic and anxiety attacks because they'd never done it before. Despite all the moaning and protestations of doom everyone did it and it didn't take long for people to learn (it was made very clear the alternative was park off site, not easy given the location of the plants).

.

Moving off topic a tad.

.

My 'covert policing' department was once based in a rented, nondescript office block on the edge of Cardiff, amongst several other nondescript office blocks.

.

The occupants of most nearby office blocks knew who we were.

 

There were insufficient parking spaces at all the office blocks, there was no bus service to the area, and no other public transport.

.

Hence the parking spaces were oversubscribed - and we would shuffle our personal vehicles, and the covert police vehicles about throughout the day.

.

Our landlords employed a parking company from the West Country who would descend upon the office car parks clamping transgressors and charging exhorbitant fees to release the offenders vehicles.

.

So it was that during 2007ish the clampers descended upon our car park, and set to.

.

A colleague, who I'll call "Gerard" went outside and confronted the clampers, and by employing his powers under sec.170 of the Road Traffic Act, demanded the details of the clampers driver, and those of the owners of his vehicle (the clamping company).

.

A quick check of the PNC showed neither clamper was insured to drive their company vehicle,

So, guess what ?

"Gerard" seized the clampers vehicle, and had it removed to a police pound.

.

The clampers never bothered us again.  

.

.

Edited October 21, 2022 by br2975

[figworthy]

1 hour ago, simontaylor484 said:

These on a Landy? Top stuff

 

Yep, one of those !  I did once come across one on a traction engine.

 

Adrian

[New Haven Neil]

15 minutes ago, figworthy said:

Yep, one of those !  I did once come across one on a traction engine.

 

Adrian

 

We had one on the 'Steamplex' but took it off as it was too damn loud when you stand right next to it!

 

 

The replacement whistle (Marshall traction engine) shows where it was.

[PhilJ W]

1 hour ago, br2975 said:

Did someone say 'cake' ?

.

Mrs. br2975 returned from Cardiff Central Market with three slabs of 'Navvies Wedding Cake' bless her.

.

As for the mug, Mrs br2975 bought it in a Colorado truckstop, and presented it to me, knowing it would provoke a reaction.........and she was correct !

That looks like bread pudding.

[Tony_S]

2 hours ago, polybear said:

first time I've seen the miserable b'sterd smile for weeks....."

Aditi’s parents weren’t smiling when they overheard me via our baby monitor complaining they were driving me mad with their incessant need to “know our programme’ for the day every ****ing minute while we were on holiday with them. This was our first trip away after Matthew was born. He was about 11 months old. It was a good job they had already left on the final day when I had my next outburst. MiL had decided to have an early birthday celebration for Matthew’s first birthday, she had somehow fed chocolate cake to him. This was a new experience for his digestive system. It was awful, and we had checked out of the apartment and had to deal with everything in our car. 

[br2975]

1 minute ago, PhilJ W said:

That looks like bread pudding.

.

If it looks like bread pudding, and tastes like bread pudding, it can only be............

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'Navvies Wedding Cake' is the local nickname for it.

[SM42]

5 minutes ago, br2975 said:

.

If it looks like bread pudding, and tastes like bread pudding, it can only be............

.

'Navvies Wedding Cake' is the local nickname for it.

 

We always knew it as soldier's wedding cake. 

 

Same thing really. Both are expected to move the earth.

 

Our workplace had a reverse park policy too. Most moaned about big brother but didn't seem to understand a car is designed to move forwards for most of the time and therefore when leaving you had maximum visibility 

 

"Ah" they said "but what about when reversing in? You can't see very well then."

 

Only if you arrive with your eyes closed and don't look around  on arrival before starting your manoeuvre.

 

Some played clever and reversed into the space and continued into the one behind. 

 

Mind you it never ceases to amaze me how many people will see a car reversing in a car park and walk behind it, rather than go around the front or wait a few seconds.

 

Andy

[SM42]

Oops nearly forgot

 

Here is today's locomotive, Ol49 - 69 during the run round in  Leszno.

 

 

It still seems a little odd that in 2022, steam is still hauling regular public timetable services 

 

Andy

[AndyID]

13 minutes ago, SM42 said:

 

Our workplace had a reverse park policy too. Most moaned about big brother but didn't seem to understand a car is designed to move forwards for most of the time and therefore when leaving you had maximum visibility 

 

 

It also requires a lot less space to reverse in. Going in forwards the rear wheels tend to cut the corner requiring an adjustment to get parallel with the lines. It's much easier to get square first time when reversing in (it's also much easier when you have a rear camera like the one on my truck 😀)

[AndyID]

5 minutes ago, SM42 said:

Oops nearly forgot

 

Here is today's locomotive, Ol49 - 69 during the run round in  Leszno.

 

 

It still seems a little odd that in 2022, steam is still hauling regular public timetable services 

 

Andy

 

Ooooh! a 2-6-2!!  Why is it not painted green?

[SM42]

Of course I wouldn't be true to my name if I didn't include an SM42 at Wolsztyn ( two even)

 

 

Quite a few about on ballast trains as work is still ongoing on the Poznan line

 

And finally the classic shed line up

 

 

 

Andy

Edited October 21, 2022 by SM42

[SM42]

10 minutes ago, AndyID said:

 

It also requires a lot less space to reverse in. Going in forwards the rear wheels tend to cut the corner requiring an adjustment to get parallel with the lines. It's much easier to get square first time when reversing in (it's also much easier when you have a rear camera like the one on my truck 😀)

 

You could always line up with use of the handbrake. 

 

Not on a modern car though with all that electrickery business

 

Andy

[br2975]

What happens in Indonesia, when the driver doesn't reverse into a parking space

.

.

 

Edited October 21, 2022 by br2975

[AndyID]

7 minutes ago, SM42 said:

 

You could always line up with use of the handbrake. 

 

Not on a modern car though with all that electrickery business

 

Andy

 

One of my neighbors (ex California) was having a problem reversing his car up his driveway because of some ice and snow. I told him to reverse up. He thought it would not help but he did it just to shut me up. Worked great because it was front-wheel drive 😃

[PhilJ W]

[jjb1970]

5 hours ago, br2975 said:

What happens in Indonesia, when the driver doesn't reverse into a parking space

.

.

 

 

Driving in Indonesia is a scary experience, up there with driving in Egypt..... My sister-in-law once noticed my disapproving look at her driving style and explained that the only way to drive is to be ruthless, go for any gap however small and show no mercy, I guess it works for them (although the traffic jams might indicate otherwise). They're also enthusiastic users of the Egyptian brake (horn).